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I was once sitting in a Burger King and a person came in asking about a job application and manager asked the person for a resume. I spit my soda on my burger laughing.
I feel some jobs are supposed to be beneath you as you become older and expand your education. Like me for example, I would never do any of the jobs below no matter how long I was unemployed because I have too many experience in customer service and job coaching with a college degree.
Janitor
Dishwasher
Fast Food
retail
You would probably not even get hired for those jobs; they do not want people with a college education, a lot of experience, etc; a person is lucky if they score these positions having a college education and a lot of work experience.
I was once sitting in a Burger King and a person came in asking about a job application and manager asked the person for a resume. I spit my soda on my burger laughing.
This is a trend I've noticed in the last four or five years. I've never had a job in my lifetime that I couldn't get by simply filling out a job application, and thats a lot of jobs. Hell I've gotten hired for more then a few jobs, and never filled out an application at all. Sometimes instead of an application they handed me a W-4 Form to fill out.
Now in the last few years, I notice job listings for all kinds of minimum wage jobs, requesting resumes. Times are changing, and not for the good.
This is a trend I've noticed in the last four or five years. I've never had a job in my lifetime that I couldn't get by simply filling out a job application, and thats a lot of jobs. Hell I've gotten hired for more then a few jobs, and never filled out an application at all. Sometimes instead of an application they handed me a W-4 Form to fill out.
Now in the last few years, I notice job listings for all kinds of minimum wage jobs, requesting resumes. Times are changing, and not for the good.
Yeah for a minimum wage job only a paper application should be acceptable
Then you create a list of push come to shove jobs which are jobs that are still ok to have on a temporary basis and those jobs for me were
Data Entry
Front Desk Agent
Customer Service Specialist
Sales
That's why I am asking so what happens after you apply with no success for those push come to shove jobs? I have been there done that, now I am past push come to shove I am already off the cliff.
I feel some jobs are supposed to be beneath you as you become older and expand your education. Like me for example, I would never do any of the jobs below no matter how long I was unemployed because I have too many experience in customer service and job coaching with a college degree.
Janitor
Dishwasher
Fast Food
retail
Pretty sure my friends/co-workers making 40-100K in retail might disagree with you, but whatever.
One additional thought about the transition to online applications is that it may simply be a matter of storage. Back in Ye Olden Days we had to send our files of paper apps to a secure warehouse every so often, where they were kept for a period of time before being microfiched and then shredded. Our location would send cartons of applications off, if you multiply that by several thousand locations across the country you are talking about a fair amount of space needed!
I have some sympathy for the OP. This is no question that this economy is not producing the jobs in either the quantity or quality that we would hope. That being said, as an employer, let me explain why almost everyone is using an online application process now.
The first and most important reason employers use is simply because they can. If there was a labor shortage, employers couldn't be this choosy and would have to employ whatever means are necessary to fill vacancies for menial jobs.
However, the other reasons so many employers use this process is because:
1. The amount of time it takes to obtain applications and screen them is minimized. Interviewing for jobs is very time consuming and this reduces the number of applicants who must be interviewed.
2. Unwanted applicants can be summarily dealt with and the employer will never see or even talk to them.
3.It prevents undesired applicants from showing up at the place of employment and potentially causing problems. Many applicants know when a job interview is not going their way and turning such applicants away can be an unpleasant business.
4. It tests an applicant's ability to follow simple directions and (unless someone else is completely filling out the application) it is something of a test of their literacy.
5. Applications can be stored on computer, rather than in space-consuming file cabinets.
Just a word of advice: Whether you like it or not, I don't see this changing any time soon. Most of this country is now wedded to high technology. It does seem ridiculous, at times, that job applicants have to do things which would seem to have no relationship to the job they are being hired for and the job may even be a minimum wage job. The employer's side of this is that even the expense of hiring a minimum wage employee is considerable and there are some things (like the employers contribution to social security) that are costs that you don't even see in your paycheck. If the job market improves, some of the hassle involved in getting these jobs may start to disappear. However, the economic recovery still has a long ways to go. What employers do is market driven.
That's why I am asking so what happens after you apply with no success for those push come to shove jobs? I have been there done that, now I am past push come to shove I am already off the cliff.
I had experience in those push come to shove jobs so I would always get a call back if I applied.
I would get call backs 75% of the time because I only apply to jobs I have experience in not just randomly applying to any job
Pretty sure my friends/co-workers making 40-100K in retail might disagree with you, but whatever.
One additional thought about the transition to online applications is that it may simply be a matter of storage. Back in Ye Olden Days we had to send our files of paper apps to a secure warehouse every so often, where they were kept for a period of time before being microfiched and then shredded. Our location would send cartons of applications off, if you multiply that by several thousand locations across the country you are talking about a fair amount of space needed!
All that would be fine if the online application was more like this below which is from a company near my job
The longer you remain fixated on how you think things "should be" the more disappointed you'll be. It's the way things are whether you like it or not. I do hope that when some of your "clients" apply for what you consider "menial" jobs you don't dissuade them from applying because of an online application process but rather assist them with it and guide them through it.
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